EWS-KT Launches Pesticide Selection Tool for Bangladesh’s Vegetable Farmers

Dhaka, Bangladesh – On 3 August 2023, East-West Seed Knowledge Transfer Foundation (EWS-KT) Bangladesh launched a new Pesticide Selection Tool for the country’s vegetable farming community.

Vegetable farmers in Bangladesh can encounter challenges in selecting the right pesticide for a pest or disease attack. Then, once a pesticide is chosen, farmers often apply too much pesticide, making the vegetables harmful to consume, or too little pesticide, leading to increased pest attacks and a loss for the farmer. 

To mitigate these challenges, EWS-KT, in collaboration with longtime partner Wageningen University & Research (WUR), developed a mobile application powered by Open as App. The WUR team, led by agronomist Herman de Putter and applied researcher Ardjan Vermue, worked closely with technical experts from EWS-KT—Lysette Lacambra, Technical Support Hub Manager, and Eamad Mustafa, Technical Manager for Bangladesh—to build this new resource for farmers.

The EWS-KT Pesticide Selection Tool matches common pests and diseases in vegetables with a list of appropriate registered pesticides available in the Bangladesh market. It enables users to identify the pest or disease, choose the right pesticide, and learn about the pesticide through information such as active ingredient, mode of action, and instructions for proper application.

This free tool is available in English and Bangla, with the ability to filter pesticides based on WHO Hazard Class, Highly Hazardous class, and bee toxicity. It is a user-friendly application that can be helpful to farmers of all age groups.

With this new app, EWS-KT aims to educate farmers on pesticide application and reduce the misuse of pesticides, ultimately improving farmer productivity and increasing the supply of safe-to-eat vegetables. 

Access the EWS-KT Pesticide Selection Tool through Open as App or by scanning the QR code below.